ADC chieftain says Osun result offers lessons for 2027, but Adeleke’s continued support for Tinubu exposes a political contradiction in his argument.
African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in Osun State as evidence that Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) can be defeated through the ballot box.
Eze, a former national publicity secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), made the argument in a statement on Monday, a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner of the 15 August governorship election.
Adeleke, who contested on the Accord Party platform, secured 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The margin was 66,252 votes.
Eze said the result showed that political structures and incumbency did not automatically guarantee victory when voters remained determined to participate in elections.
“This victory is a victory of light over darkness. It is a victory that belongs principally to God and to the people of Osun State who refused to surrender their democratic rights.”
He congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun, but urged the governor to treat his second term as a responsibility rather than simply a political victory.
Eze links Osun result to 2027
The ADC chieftain said the election had implications beyond Osun because Nigeria is already moving towards the 2027 general elections.
INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for 16 January 2027, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 6 February.
Eze linked the Osun outcome to comments attributed to former Rivers State governor and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi, who has previously urged voters to cast their ballots and protect them.
Amaechi made similar calls during previous election campaigns, including urging voters to remain at polling units and monitor the handling of results.
Eze said: “Amaechi had earlier made the point that the APC can be defeated in 2027 if Nigerians come out, vote and protect their votes.
Osun has now demonstrated that this is not merely political rhetoric. It is achievable.”
He called on voters across the country to study the Osun election and participate actively in the 2027 elections.
“The message from Osun is simple: the power belongs to the people. If Nigerians replicate the vigilance, determination and courage demonstrated by the Osun electorate, we can rescue our nation from those who have taken Nigerians for granted and believe that they can continue to govern without accountability to the people.”
Also Read / Related News: INEC Declares Adeleke Winner of Osun Governorship Election
However, the Osun result alone does not establish that the same voting pattern will occur nationally in 2027.
The presidential election will involve different candidates, issues, alliances and voting dynamics.
A political contradiction over Tinubu
Eze also urged Adeleke not to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
That appeal conflicts with Adeleke’s publicly stated position.
The governor endorsed Tinubu’s re-election earlier this year and reaffirmed his support during his 2026 campaign.
Adeleke described Tinubu as a leader from the South-West and said his support for the President remained firm.
The disagreement is therefore not simply about whether Adeleke won Osun.
It also reflects competing calculations within the opposition and South-West political landscape ahead of 2027.
Eze claimed Adeleke should reject what he called Tinubu’s “fake support” and avoid backing the President in 2027.
There is, however, no evidence in the statement establishing that Tinubu provided or promised support for Adeleke’s re-election.
Indeed, APC lawmakers from Osun publicly denied in April that Tinubu had endorsed Adeleke for the governorship election.
Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, also rejected reports that the President supported Adeleke and said he remained Tinubu’s endorsed candidate.
The competing claims illustrate why assertions about political endorsements should be treated separately from the verified election result.
What the election actually shows
The Osun election provides evidence that an incumbent can win or lose despite intense competition, but it does not by itself prove that the APC is nationally vulnerable.
Adeleke won the election by more than 66,000 votes and reportedly carried 19 of the state's 30 local government areas.
The election also followed months of political tension involving the APC, Accord and other parties.
Ahead of the poll, Adeleke's campaign raised concerns about electoral preparations, while INEC proceeded with voter registration, PVC distribution and preparations for the election.
Those issues matter because Eze's central argument — that voters must protect their votes — depends not only on voter turnout but also on the credibility of the electoral process.
Voters need access to polling units, functioning accreditation technology, transparent counting and credible transmission and collation of results.
Political parties and observers also have a role in documenting irregularities and pursuing legitimate complaints through the appropriate channels.
A warning to the APC
Eze said the result should force the APC and President Tinubu to reassess their political strategy before 2027.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his political associates should understand that the political equation has changed.
The people are becoming conscious of their power.”
He argued that the election had weakened assumptions that political structures and control of government automatically translate into electoral victory.
That interpretation remains a political assessment rather than an established fact.
The APC still controls the federal government, while the 2027 presidential contest will involve a much larger electorate and different political alliances from those in Osun.
The emergence of the ADC as a significant opposition platform also adds another variable to the next election cycle.
What happens next?
For Adeleke, the immediate challenge is to convert his electoral mandate into governance while managing the political relationships that helped shape the election.
His continued endorsement of Tinubu also means his position on the 2027 presidential race may remain an issue within opposition politics.
For the APC, the Osun defeat provides an early warning ahead of a much bigger electoral contest, although one state election cannot reliably predict the outcome of a presidential election.
For voters, Eze's broader message is that electoral participation matters, but so does evidence-based scrutiny of the process.He concluded:“Osun has spoken.
Nigerians should listen. The people have demonstrated that democracy still belongs to them.
The task before Nigerians in 2027 is to vote according to their conscience, protect their votes and ensure that the will of the people prevails.
The people, not political godfathers, must decide who governs Nigeria.”
The next test will be whether the political lessons drawn from Osun translate into broader voter mobilisation, credible competition and stronger electoral accountability before the 2027 polls.
